Bag filling machine



Sept. 12, 1933.

Filed June 30, 1950 A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING lMACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 12, 1933.

A. L. CURRIER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 ll Sheets-Sheet 2Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. cuRRlER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 llShe'etS-Sheet 3 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. cURRlER BAG FILLING MACHINE FiledJune 3U, 1950 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 auw 1g 5 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. CURRIERBAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 12,1933. A. L. cURRn-:R

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet 6 SePtl2, 1933.A, L. URRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1930 1l Sheets-Sheet 7 S@Ptl2, 1933.A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 l1 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sepf- 12,1933. A. L. cURRn-:R 1,926,02

f BAG FILLING MACHINE v Filed June 30, 1950 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 FI 3. 1f1% Sept 12, 1933. A. L. cURRlx-:R 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1930 11 sheets-sheet 1o @Rouw 11SePt- 12, 1933. A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

-BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 1l Sheets-Sheet ll UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BAG FILLING MACHINE Application June 30, 1930.Serial No. 464,787

12 Claims.

This application relates to apparatus for iilling bags and moreparticularly for filling valve bags. The purpose of the invention is toprovide means which will ll bags and more particularly valve bags withgranular or pulverulent material, and will deliver correctly weighedcharges complete to each bag, and perform the weighing automatically andthe delivering with rapidity and certainty. Other and minor details andobjects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this disclosure- Figure 1is a front elevation of a group of lling devices embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure l, partsbeing broken away for purposes of illustration, and the apparatus beingviewed from the right side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the starting device shownin Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged details of the bag supporting and clampingmechanism and its connection with the starting device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail partly broken away and partly in section,illustrating the driving mechanism for discharging material into thebag.

Figure 7 is a corresponding section disclosing in plan the iinaldischarge propeller for driving material into the bags.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a detail view of a discharge propeller.

Figure 11 is a vertical section through the mechanism for delivering andweighing charges of material.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Figure 1l.

Figure 13 is a View partly in plan and partly in horizontal sectionillustrating part of the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 11.

Figure 14 is an enlarged side elevation of the weighing beam connectingmechanism controlling the delivering shaft.

Figure 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Figure 14.

Figures 16 and 17 are sections of the dumping sleeve in differentpositions, illustrating its operation.

Figure 18 is an enlarged elevation of the cam control and the dischargemechanism.

Figure 19 is a plan view of the clutch controlling the discharging screwand dumping sleeve.

Figure 20 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 19, viewedfrom the right of Figure 19.

Figures 21 to 26 inclusive are views of the clutch controlling cam andassociated parts viewed in successive positions.

In the embodiment of the invention, there is shown apparatus mountedupon a suitable frame 55 30 and comprising three similar fillingmechanisms designated generally as 31, 32 and 33. These mechanisms areidentical and therefore only one need be disclosed in detail. A maindrive shaft 34 is mounted in the frame. A bev- 79 eled gear 35 on thedrive shaft engages a beveled gear 36 on a vertical shaft 3'7 which inturn drives the mechanism delivering material to each Weighing device. Abelt or chain 38 is driven by a suitable wheel on shaft 34 and engages awheel 39 75 on shaft 40 mounted in frame 3G and. extending horizontallybeneath the lling mechanisms.

Above each lling mechanism there is a hopper 41, from which material isfed to a weighing can 42, which in turn delivers it to a hopper 43, from8G which it is driven through bag supporting and filling devices 44 and45. Devices 44 and 45 are identical except that one is at the right handof a hopper 43 and the other at the left hand side thereof. For thisreason, the mechanism of but one of the supporting and filling devicesneeds to be described. A bag supporting and clamping member 46 isadapted to enter the valve of a bag and is pivoted at 47 upon thedischarging device, as shown in Figure 4. Extending upward from thepivot of member 46 there is a lug 48. A clamping latch 49 is pivotedupon a stationary pivot 50 and is provided with a notch 51 and adaptedto contact the upper end of lug 48. A bell crank lever 52 is pivoted at53 upon latch 49 and has oneI 95 arm pivoted at 54 to a link 55 mountedat its other end upon a pivot 56 on the top of a slide gate 259. Gate259 has an opening 260 which registers with the discharge opening oflling device 44 when the gate is raised. The other arm 100 of lever 52carries a handle 57 and is connected by a rod 58 with the startingdevice, as will be explained later. An abutment member 59 is mounted byfastening device 60 or the like stationed above member 46.

Beneath each hopper 43 and surrounding shaft 40, there is a gear casing61. Within the gear casing there is a double beveled gear 62 rigid upondrive shaft 40, being fastened thereto by pin 63 in the embodimentshown. Engaging the right 110 side of beveled gear 62 there is a beveledgear 64 on the bottom end of a vertical shaft 65 which passes through abearing 66 on the bottom 67 of hopper 43. Within the bottom 67 and onthe top of shaft 65 there is an ejecting propeller 68. Engaging the leftside of beveled gear 62 there is a beveled gear 69 on the other end ofvertical shaft 70 which may extend upward through a bearing 71 on bottom67 and has on its upper end an ejector 72 adapted to drive materialoutward through an opening 73. At the right side of bottom 67 there is asimilar opening 74 through which material is driven by ejector 68. Onthe hub of gear 69 there is formed a gear 75 which engages a gear 76 onthe bottom of the vertical shaft 77 which extends upward into hopper 43and carries thereon a screw propeller 78.

Inserted between bottom 67 of the hopper and the side walls of thehopper there is a plate 80 having therein an opening 81 which registersthroughout the greater portion of its circumference with the interior ofthe cylindrical bottom of hopper 43. Bottom 67 has a plate providing asurface 82 on a level with the bottom of plate 80. A substantiallycircular pocket 83 is formed with the right side of bottom 67 as mostclearly shown in Figure 8. The upper surface of the bottom 67 is slanteddownward from surface 82 in an inclined plane 84 to the rear edge ofpocket 83. Within pocket 83 there is provided a ring lining 85 notchedat 86 to coincide with the delivery edge of slanting portion 84. Withinring 85 in the bottom of the pocket there is a plate 79 which slantsdownward towards the edges of the pocket.

As will clearly appear from Figures 6 and 7, the pocket 83 extendsoutward beyond the inner wall of the cylindrical portion of hopper 43and the corresponding opening 81 in plate 80. Plate 80 1s cut away at 87to the rear of pocket 83, but has a guide portion 88 overlying theactual pocket, the underside 89 of portion 88 being beveled downward soas to guide material downward into the pocket. At the left front ofmember 67 there isa pocket 90 similar to pocket 83. Within pocket 90there is a ring 91 similar to ring 85 and a bottom plate 92 similar toplate 79. Also the plate 80 is cut away at 93 similar to the cut awayportion 87 and there is a guide portion 94 with its beveled edge 95guiding material downward into pocket 90. It will be seen, however, notonly from Figure 7, but also by comparison of Figures 8 and 9, thatguide portion 94 is comparatively short and bevel 95 comparativelyabrupt compared with guide portion 88 and bevel 89 Seated in plate 79there is a guide member 96 substantially parallel with the direction ofdischarge opening 74. Seated in plate 92 there is similar guide member97 substantially parallel with discharge opening 73.

Ejecting propellers 68 and 72 might be of any suitable construction, butthe preferred form is disclosed in Figure 10. In this form the propelleris provided with two discharge blades 98, each discharge blade beingcurved at the end 99. On the underside the blade is notched at 100 so asto just pass over guide member 96 or 97, as the case may be.

Beneath hopper or bin 41 there is a container within which there ismounted an agitator 111 mounted upon a shaft 112. On the left end ofshaft 112, as viewed in Fig. 1, there is a pulley 113 driven by a belt114 running from a pulley 115 on drive shaft 34. Beneath container 110there is a discharge chute 116 containing a discharge screw 117. Infront of chute 116 and in axial alignment with screw 117 there is asleeve 118. A fixed frame 119 surrounds sleeve 118. A shaft 120 extendsthrough the sleeve carrying screw 117 and through sleeve 118, and hasits front end journaled in a bearing 121 mounted on frame 119. A groovedring 122 is mounted upon sleeve 118 on the end adjacent chute 116.Spiders 123 and 124 within sleeve 118 are fixed upon shaft 120. Thespiders hold the sleeve in close juxtaposition to the end of chute 116.

A weighing balance beam is provided with bearings 131 mounted upon knifeedges 132 supported by a bracket 133 beneath chute 116. The front end ofbeam 130 is forked to provide arms 134, the front end of each of thesearms ending in an upturned knife edge 136 cooperating with a bearing 137upon weighing can 42. 'Ihe rear end 138 of the balance beam carries aweight 139 of sufiicient size to counterbalance can 42 and the desiredload.

On the forward side of can 42 there is provided a door 140 pivoted at141 near its upper edge. At its lower edge it is provided with a 100 lug142 terminating in a hook 143. A latch 144 adapted to cooperate withhook 143 is mounted upon a rock shaft 145. An arm 146 of rock shaft haspivoted thereto a vertically slidable rod 147, the upper end of the rodbeing bent inward 105 and then downward and having thereon stops 148 and149, for a purpose that will be described later.

Extending upward from beam 130 above its fulcrum, there is an arm 150entering the fork of 110 an arm 151 extending downward from a rock shaft152. (See Fig. 14.) An arm 153 near the end of rock shaft 152 extendsupward and works between two stops 154 and 155 upon a bar 156. whichslides through keepers 157 and 158 mount- 115 ed on the side of chute116. A bracket 159 is attached to the rod or bar 156 and has pivotedthereto at 160 a link 161. The link is suspended from a fixed pivot 162on container 110. The forward end 163 of bar 15e normally extends into120 the path of a lug 164 mounted upon ring 122.

On the other side of chute 116 from bar 156 there is a similar bar 165loosely mounted in retainers 166 and 167 and having a bracket 188pivoted to a supporting link 169. An arm sim- 125 ilar to 153 extendsupward from rock shaft 152 and engages between stops 170 and 171 on bar165. Bar 165 is provided with a notch 172 which normally registers withthe path of lug 164.

sleeve 11a is provided with a slot 173 which 13" is downward when lug164 engages end 163 of bar 156 and is upward when lug 164 engages bar165. A cover 174 mounted on frame 119 covers slot 173 when that slot isturned upward.

Attached to frame 119 in front or een 42, there 135 is a stop member 175in position to be engaged by a lug 176 extending 'forward from the upperportion of gate 140, so that when can 42 is raised to the position inwhich it is shown in the drawings, the door is closed by engagement oflug 140 176 with stop 175.

To the rear of chute 116 there is a casing 180 having at its rear end abearing 181 for the rear end of shaft 120. Casing is also provided I-with a bearing 182 in its forward lower portion 1" for the upper end ofshaft 37. The upper end of bearing 182 carries a thrust bearing 183 uponwhich shaft 37 is supported by means of a gear 184 fixed on the shaft,as by a set screw 185. 15o

Surrounding shaft 120 in the forward portion of casing 180 there s-asleeve 186 loosely mounted on the shaft. The forward end of sleeve 186carries lugs 187 adapted to enter notches in the rear end of sleeve 188which carries screw 117. A clutch member 189 is xed on the rear ofsleeve 186 by means of a. set screw 190 or the like. A gear 191 ismounted loosely upon sleeve 186 in position to engage gear 184 and to beconstantly driven thereby. The hub of gear 191 is provided with notches192. A slide 193 mounted in clutch member 189 is constantly urged by aspring 194 towards gear 191,the forward end of this slide entering anotch 192 when permitted. A notch 195 is provided in the upper edge ofslide 193 and this notch is substantially in alignment with an annulargroove 196 in clutch member 189. A lever 197 is pivoted at 198 on casing180 and is adapted to move into or out of groove 196 and notch 195. Thefree end of lever 197 is perforated to receive a pin 199 upon the upperend of a controlling member 200. A pin 201 on the free end of lever 197is connected by a spring 202 to' a pin 203 on the axis of a shaft 204mounted beneath casing 180. The forked lower end 205 of member 200straddles the shaft 204, and rollers 206 mounted on the sides of member200 rest upon controlling cams 207 mounted upon shaft 204. Lever 197 isprovided on its lower side with a lug 208 beveled at 209, the lug beingadapted to enter groove 196 when the lever is lowered and the beveledend thereof adapted to engage the rear side of notch 195 in slide 193when the clutch member turns the slide to its upper position. The end ofshaft 204 opposite that which carries cams 207, has fixed thereon aratchet A member 210 provided with two teeth 211.

A member 212 mounted loosely upon shaft 204 beside ratchet 210 has anoutwardly projecting arm 213 connected to the upper end of a rod 214,the lower end of which rod is connected to an arm 215 on a rock shaft216. (See Fig. 3.) Projecting downward from shaft 216 there is a lug217. A xed bracket 218 extends to the rear and downward from shaft 216.A connecting member 219 is fixed on the rear of rod 58 and carries a pin220 in alignment with rod 58 and working through the end of bracket 218.A hook 221 is pivoted at 222 on member 219. A spring 223 normally urgeshook 221 to its upper position, a stop screw 224 limiting the upwardmovement of the hook.

A pawl 225 is mounted upon member 212 and is adapted to engage teeth 211on ratchet wheel 210 when member 212 is actuated. A stop member 226 ismounted in position' to stop a downward movement of rod 214, as shown inFig. 22. A collar 227 is fixed to rod 214 and is connected to a tensionspring 228, the upper end of which is attached to a pin 229 fixed uponcasing 180.

On the middle portion of shaft 204 beneath casing 180 there are mountedtwo ratchet wheels 235 connected by pins 236. Each of the wheels isprovided with a plurality of teeth 237. A rod 239 is connected to therear end of arm 138, and the upper end of rod 239 is adapted to playbetween the two ratchet wheels 235. A pin l240 extending crosswisethrough the upper end of rod 239 is adapted to engage in teeth 237.

A latch member 241 is pivoted on a pin 242 beneath casing 180 and withits forward end Working above ratchet wheels 235. The underside of latchmember 241 is provided with a notch 243 adapted to engage pins 236. Theforward end 244 of latch 241 extends into the upper end of the path ofrod 239.

Pin 242 extends into the plane of member 212 and this end of pin 242carries an arm 245 adapted to be engaged by a cam 246 on member 212,member 245 having a downwardly projecting cam surface 247 provided forthis engagement, as shown in Figure 21.

Mounted upon shaft 120 at the rear oi' clutch member 189 there is a disk250 having a hub 251 with a notch 252 enclosing a pin 253 passingthrough shaft 120. (See Fig. 19.) In this way disk 250 may slide endwiseof shaft 120 but constantly rotates therewith. Friction material 254 isprovided between disk 250 and the rear end of clutch member 189. Acollar 255 is fixed cn shaft 120 to the rear of disk 250 and restsagainst a thrust bearing 256. A spring 257 between cellar 255 and disk250 presses the disk against the rear end of clutch member 189.

Projecting from the forward face of gear 191 there are a plurality ofpins 260. A lever i is pivoted at 262 within casing 180 and extendsbeneath the path of pins 260 and through the of the casing where it isattached to the end of a lever 263. (See Fig. 19.) Lever 263 extendsforward and is fulcrumed at 264 upon the side of chute 116, and has itsforward end 265 extending into the top of can 42. (See Fig. 2.) The end265 is perforated and receives the upper end of rod 147 between stops148 and 149.

The manner of operation of the device is as follows. It will beunderstood that hoppers 41 are supplied with material in any desiredmanner and that the moving agitator 111 insures that the material willmove .from hopper 41 through trough 110 down into discharge chute 116.Screw 117 discharges the material into sleeve 118 from which it dropsinto weighing can 42. This weighing device is very similar to thatdescribed and claimed in my prior application for Filling machine, Ser.No. 348,380, filed January 20, 1929. However, the operation of thisweighing device will be briefly described in order to furnish anadequate description of the filling machine. When the rotation of screw117 is started in the manner which will be described later, material isforced out into sleeve 118 which then is in the position in which it isshown in Figure 16 and therefore the material drops through the slot 173into weighing can 42 until weight 139 is overbalanced. When weighing can42 moves downward arm 150 withdraws end 163 of bar 156. It will bereadily understood that during the time such member 189 is rotatingthere is constant friction exerted through friction material 254 anddisc 250 upon the shaft 120 which carries sleeve 118. Therefore, whenend 163 is withdrawn from lug 164 sleeve 118 immediately proceeds toturn in the direction of the arrow 1ndicated on Figure 16 and continuesto turn until lug 164 encounters bar 165, when the sleeve is stopped inthe position which is shown in Figure 17. In this way the flow ofmaterial into can 42 is stopped during the dumping period. When can 42is lowered by the weight of the material therein, rod 147 is loweredtherewith until stop 148 comes in contact with the end of lever 265.Thereafter the end of lever 265 is lowered, rais` ing lever 261 intocontact with pins 260 upon a gear 191. This imparts a succession ofmovements to rod 147 which insures the release of the latch from hook143, so that gate 140 is a1- lowed to swing open. The continuous actionof the vibrating lever 265 through rod 147 imparts vibration to the canand insures the complete discharge of the material therefrom.

As soon as the -can is emptied, weight 139 swings lever 130 back intothe position in which it is shown in Figure 11. Lug 176 encounters stop175 swinging door 140 into closed position. At the same time through themovement of arm 150 bar 165 is moved forward to the position in which itis shown in Figure 13 and notch 172 registers with lug 164 whereuponshaft 120 and sleeve 118 are allowed to make a half turn in thedirection of the arrow shown in Figure 17. so that it turns the sleeveinto the position in which it is shown in Figure 16, with the slot inopen position. Thereupon the material accumulated within the sleeveduring the discharging operation drops into the can and suflicientadditional material is forced forward by screw 117 to complete anotherturn, whereupon the dumping action is repeated.

The action above described is substantially the same as that takingplace in my above mentioned application, but the control mechanism forstarting and stopping the weighing action is diiferent from thatdisclosed in my prior application and will now be described.

When the operator has placed a bag upon support 46, the support enteringthe valve bag as indicated in Fig. 5, handle 57 is pulled to the frontor from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 to the position inwhich it is shown in Fig. 5. During this movement of the handle, latch49 is swung downward, notch 51 engaging the beveled corner of lug 48 andraising support 46 so that it clamps the top of the bag against abutment59. Notch 51 is suiliciently deep so that it passes below the bevelledcorner of lug 48 and engages the vertical surface of the lug, so thatthere is no tendency for the weight of the bag to lift the latch. At thesame time that the bag is thus clamped in position, rod 58 is pulledlongitudinally and thereby pulls latch member 221, as will appear fromFigs. 2 and 3, and oscillates arm 215 downward. This -pulls downward rod214 and swings arm 213 so as to move pawl 225 and ratchet 210, asindicated by Figs. 21 and 22. 'I'his moves cam wheel 207 upward so thatthe roller 206 rolls up from notch 230, in which it is shown in Fig. 21to notch 231 in which it is shown in Fig. 22. raises lever 197 out ofregister with slide 193 and allows spring 194 to press the slide into anotch 192 and thereby cause the rotation of clutch member 189. This inturn drives screw 117 and feeds material into sleeve 118 and throughslot 173 into weighing can 42.

The counterbalance weight is of such a size that it requires a pluralityof charges of the can to constitute a charge for a single bag. With theconstruction of mechanism here disclosed, there must be three weighingstomake one charge for a bag. When the can is filled and descends asdescribed above, rod 239 is raised from the position in which it isshown in Figs. 2 and 22 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 23. It willbe noted that pin 240 is not raised quite far enough to enter notch 232.Upon the upward movement of cam 42, rod 239 is drawn downward until pin240 enters notch 233 and moves that notch from the position in which itis shown in Fig. 23 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 24. During thenext weighing operation, pin 240 is raised far enough to drop into notch232, as shown in Fig. 25, and rotates cam 207 through another 60. Afterthis weighing operation, when the can again returns upward, the camwheel is turned through another 60 until roller 206 enters notch 230,

1,9aa,soa

which allows lever 197 to drop suiiiciently to intercept slide 193 anddisconnect clutch portion 189 and thereby stop the weighing device untilit is again actuated by the movement of handle 57.

As will be readily understood from Fig. 3, the parts are so constructedthat catch 221 can slip past lug 217 after arm 215 has oscillated acertain amount, and spring 228 thereupon returns arm 215 on lug 217 tothe position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. After the bag has beenfilled in a manner which will be described below, handle 57 is once morepushed back to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, therebyreleasing lug 48 and permitting bag support 46 to drop away fromabutment 59, and release the bag. At the same time rod 58 is pushed tothe right, as viewed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, to a suiiicient distance sothat latch 221 is again pushed onto lug 217, spring 223 yielding toallow the latch to pass the lug.

Shaft 40 is preferably actuated continuously so that as soon as a chargeis dropped into hopper 43, it is at once pressed downward by worm 78.Assuming that the bag is upon filling mechanism 44, the movement ofhandle 57 raises pin 54 and thereby elevates gate 259 until its opening260 registers with outlet opening 74. Therefore, as soon as material ispressed into depression 83 by worm 78, propeller 68 immediately beginsto force the material out through passage 74 into the bag. It will beseen that-the rotation of the screw tends to sweep material through theinlet opening formed between slanting portion 84 and bevelled guide 89,as viewed in Fig. 8. Abutment 96 deflects material and insures that itpasses out through opening 74 instead of a portion in the bottom of thedepression following around with the ejecting blade. This aids in therapidity of the discharge during the entire filling period, but it isparticularly important in the final period, as it results in thecomplete emptying of the pocket.

The operation of the device is more uniform when the amount of materialin hopper 43 is limited, and this is an additional reason for using aplurality of weighings to form the charge with discharging apparatus ofthe kind herein described. Plate with its notch 87 and guiding member88, and the location of the discharge pockets with their dischargingportion beyond the periphery of the screw, increases the rapidity of thedischarge with respect to the speed of the parts and aids in thecomplete discharge of the material weighed into the apparatus. A certainamount of material remains in the discharge pocket whose gate is notopened, but this amount is comparatively small, and is substantially thesame in each case and therefore does not interfere with obtainingcharges of correct size.

After a bag has been filled through filling device 44, filling device 45is operated in the same manner, the details of the operation notrequiring separate description, but it may be mentioned that the handles57 are so connected that arm 215 is swung downward upon the forward pullof either handle, the lug 217 swinging idly with respect to the rod 58which is not moved, there being a lug 217 and corresponding latchmechanism in connection with each rod 58.

It will be noted that member 88 and the corresponding member 94 aresomewhat differently located and shaped. This is because dischargingdevices 68 and 72 operate in opposite directions and the differentarrangement of these guiding lugs is so that substantially the sameamount of material will be left in each pocket when the filling of a bagthrough the other pocket has been completed. In other words, when onepocket is being operated for filling purposes and the other pocket isoperated idly, the idle pocket retains at the end of the operationsubstantially the same amount. If members 88 and 94'were similar, therewould be a difference in the remainder of material which was not thrownout of the idle pocket at the end of the filling operation.

While one form of mechanism has been described in considerable detail,it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for filling bags, a charge-forming device regulated todeliver a charge which is l/n of the desired charge for a bag, a hopperin position to receive charges from said device, means adapted todischarge from said hopper material delivered thereto, a clamp adaptedto hold a bag in receiving relation to said discharge means, meansconnected to said clamp for initiating the operation of said device whenthe clamp is actuated to hold a bag in position, and automatic means forstopping said device after it has delivered n charges.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said dischargemeans comprises a centrifugal propeller and a screw driving materialinto said propeller.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said hopper has acylindrical lower portion, a screw within said portion and drivingmaterial downward, a smaller cylindrical pocket at the bottom of saidportion, and a centrifugal propeller in said pocket.

4. Apparatus for filling valve bags comprising a hopper having acylindrical lower portion with its axis vertical, a plate beneath saidportion and having an opening forming a continuation of the opening insaid portion, a member beneath said plate having a pocket therein lyingpartly beneath said opening and partly therebeyond, a screw within saidportion driving material downward, a centrifugal propeller in saidpocket, and a spout adapted to receive material from said pocket anddeliver it into a bag.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and in which the plate isnotched for part of the distance above said pocket and beyond saidportion and the remaining portion of the plate overhanging said pocketis beveled to guide material downward into said pocket.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in combination with means fordriving said screw and propeller constantly and means for intermittentlydropping charges of material into said hopper.

7. In apparatus for filling valve bags, a cylindrical hopper with itsaxis vertical, a screw within the hopper driving the material downward,a member having two pockets beneath the hopper, each of the pocketsbeing smaller across than said hopper, partly underlying said hopper,and partly extending therebeyond, centrifugal propellers in saidpockets, means to drive said propellers in opposite directions, andsubstantially parallel spouts extending from said pockets and adapted todeliver material in the same direction into valve bags.

8. Apparatus for filling valve bags comprising a hopper, a memberbeneath the hopper and having two pockets partly underlying the hopper,a screw within the hopper adapted to sweep material into said pockets, acentrifugal propeller in each pocket, means to turn said propellers inopposite directions, spouts in position to receive material from saidpockets and deliver it into valve bags, and means for intermittentlydelivering charges of material into said hopper, the openings from thehopper into the pockets being modified in accordance with the directionof the motion of the propellers, whereby substantially an equal amountof material remains in each pocket when it is closed and the otherpocket is open.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, and including a plate betweenthe hopper and the pocketed member, said plate having therein a beveledpart overlying each pocket and facing the sweep of the screw, the bevelbeing more abrupt over the pocket wherein the propeller turns oppositelyfrom the screw than that over the propeller turning in the samedirection as the screw.

l0. In apparatus for filling valve bags, a member having a substantiallycylindrical pocket therein, a centrifugal propeller in the pocket, atangential spout extending from the pocket and adapted to discharge intothe valve of a bag and a guide plate on the bottom of the pocket beneaththe path of the propeller blades, parallel with the tangential side ofsaid spout and substantially in line with the other side of said spout.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 and in which the propeller hasblades having the lower portions of their forward faces shaped to drivematerial downward, whereby material is urged against said guide plate.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10, and in which the propellerhas blades which are convex on their forward side both in the horizontalplane and in the vertical plane.

ARTHUR L. CURRIER.

